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Different from intrabronchial mucus accumulation in bronchiectasis caused by chronic inflammation, mucoid impactions are observed in patients with allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA) and bronchial asthma. A 62-year-old man was referred to our hospital for treatment of bronchial asthma. Five years ago, he had a coronary stent insertion for myocardial infarction and was diagnosed with bronchial asthma. The stent was suspected to be related to the onset of asthma. Inhaled corticosteroid/long-acting beta agonist was not sufficient to control the condition. He received dupilumab, a humanized anti-human IL-4/13 receptor monoclonal antibody (biologic therapy). Bronchial mucoid impactions disappeared by single administration of the biologic therapy and there has been no recurrence of mucoid impactions for over a year. Although very rare, we do believe that information regarding asthma phenotype in this patient, indication and administration method for dupilumab, and changes before and after administration of dupilumab will provide some suggestive information on treatment for patients with a similar course in the future.

Background: Retinal vein occlusion (RVO) is a major cause of vision impairment globally. Obstruction in the retinal venous system is often due to thrombus formation at arteriovenous crossing points, leading to symptoms localized to the affected retinal area. Systemic conditions like hypertension, diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia and heart disease are recognized risk factors for RVO, influencing the components of Virchow's triad.

Objective: This work aims to provide an updated overview of systemic risk factors associated with branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO) development and to explore management options for the prevention or modification of associated risks.

Methods: Review of the literature concerning the pathogenesis and risk factors of BRVO, including diabetes mellitus, hyperlipidemia, hematologic conditions, hormonal factors, thyroid disease, and the impact of COVID-19 and related vaccines on BRVO incidence.

Results: Diabetes mellitus contributes to BRVO through mechanisms like endothelial dysfunction and thrombogenesis. Hyperlipidemia - through lipid-mediated vascular changes - and hematologic conditions - by predisposing to hypercoagulability - significantly increase BRVO risk. Hormonal imbalances and thyroid diseases also influence BRVO development through their effects on vascular and hemostatic systems. Furthermore, COVID-19 has been identified as a potential risk factor for BRVO, possibly due to its pro- thrombotic effects.

Conclusion: Branch retinal vein occlusion represents a complex interplay of systemic and local vascular factors, necessitating comprehensive management strategies. Early detection and modification of risk factors is crucial for preventing vision impairment associated with BRVO. The ongoing pandemic and its systemic implications underscore the importance of continued review into the multifactorial etiology of BRVO and optimization of management strategies to improve patient outcomes.

Pseudochylothorax is a rare disease entity. It is characterized by a milky white pleural fluid with a cholesterol/triglyceride ratio >1. According to published reports, most patients had associated diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis and tuberculosis, with only one patient having oropharynx carcinoma associated with lung metastases. Herein, we describe the development of pseudochylothorax in a patient with rheumatoid arthritis and lung squamous cell carcinoma. Cancer cells were confirmed in the pleural fluid, but there was no thoracic duct damage caused by cancer invasion or tuberculosis-related lesions in the lung field or intrathoracic lymph nodes. Anticancer treatment included immune checkpoint inhibitors, and the appearance of a cavity within the mass and pneumothorax were associated with lung cancer treatment. Although the mechanism of pseudochylothorax onset was unknown, we do believe that this clinical course would provide some suggestive information on treatment for patients with a similar course in the future.

Objective: The purpose of this study is to emphasize the necessity and possibilities of early intervention and physiotherapy rehabilitation of premature infants, as they are reflected in five-year olds according to the gross motor function measure (GMFM) and gross motor performance measure (GMPM) evaluation scales for gross function and quality of movement. In addition, the present study examined the importance of using assessment tools for children who have received or not therapeutic intervention, through which both the child's abilities and appropriateness of the help received by him/her are evaluated based on individual needs.

Material and methods: Our specific exploratory process was carried out through a literature review as well as a process of primary research, in order to obtain and collect all necessary information and data which would finally lead us to the nearest and best conclusions. Our goal was to collect 20 complete and graded GMFM and 20 GMPM assessment tests, so that our research was based on a satisfactory sample of participants. In the next year, the scores received by participants were recorded and analyzed using the statistical software program SPSS (Superior Performance Software System). The analysis was performed through descriptive and inductive statistical analysis in the SPSS statistical program. Specifically, the SPSS version 20.0 and specifically the one-way ANOVA variance analysis and the Tukey's parametric test were used for the statistical analysis of the results.

Results: The use of physiotherapy care was found to be important for premature infants, as the level of statistical significance was set at p <0.05, while the data were reported as average. The final overall scores of the evaluations (on average) were higher in the group who received early intervention and specialized physiotherapy intervention from the first day after birth.

Conclusions: The effect of physiotherapy on premature infants is positive in five-year-old children, who have completed almost all their developmental stages at that age. These benefits become apparent not only in a better handling of kinetic patterns and sequences but also in the ability to execute kinetic models, conquer developmental motor stages and perform them with quality in terms of alignment, sequence, synergy of movements, separation and stability.

Background: Thyroid disorders and diabetes mellitus are often known to co-exist, implying an interrelationship between thyroid dysfunction and insulin resistance. Triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index is a relatively new surrogate marker of insulin resistance, which is cost-effective and easily calculated with routine lab tests. Data about association of subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH) and insulin resistance, especially with reference to TyG index, is lacking.

Objectives: To evaluate the association of SCH and insulin resistance using the TyG index by comparing its value in patients with SCH and age- and gender-matched euthyroid controls. Also, to determine if there is a correlation between TyG index values and thyroid profile parameters (TSH, FT3 and FT4) in both study groups.

Materials and methods: Thirty-five patients with SCH and an equal number of age- and gender-matched euthyroid controls were included in the present study. The TyG index was calculated for each group and compared. The correlation between TyG index and thyroid profile parameters (TSH, FT3 and FT4) was also assessed.

Results: The TSH values were significantly higher in the SCH group (6.6±1.7 µIU/mL) than the control one (2.5±1.2 µIU/mL; p<0.0001). There was no significant difference in FT3 in the SCH group (2.93±0.49 pg/ mL) and the control one (3.05±0.64 pg/mL; p=0.310). The level of FT4 was also not found to be significantly different in SCH subjects (1.23±0.44 ng/dL) and controls (1.4±0.42 ng/dL; p=0.077). The TyG index values were significantly higher in the SCH group (4.8±0.2) as compared to the control one (4.7±0.2; p = 0.015). The TyG index did not show any significant correlation with the thyroid parameters in any of the two groups.

Conclusion: There is a positive association between SCH and insulin resistance in terms of TyG index. This index may thus be helpful in early screening and management of such patients for insulin resistance related conditions like diabetes mellitus, metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular disorders.

Objective: The degenerative disc disease has a multifactorial etiology and mechanical stress is one of the most important etiological factor. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the intervertebral disc (IVD) after axial stress diminution from the point of view of its proteoglycan (PG) content, with preoteoglicans (PGs) being very important in the normal function but also in the degenerative or regenerative processes.

Methods: This is a single-center, prospective, non-randomized study of 38 degenerated intervertebral discs treated with monosegmental or polisegmental posterior lumbar spinal fixation in 27 patients. During surgery, a posterior intervertebral distraction at operated levels was applied. Patients' mean age was 50.77 years and the mean follow-up 28.74 months. Both clinical (visual analog pain scale, Oswestry disability index) and radiological (lumbar spine lordosis, disc thickness) analyses were made before and after surgery. A new method of cartilage analysis, which was also validated for the IVD, delayed gadolinium-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging of cartilage (dGEMRIC) was used to determine the PG content before and after surgery for both the intervertebral degenerative disc and control level L1-L2 disc.

Results: The clinical features improved significantly. The thickness of the operated discs increased by an average of 1.71 mm postoperatively and remained unchanged in the control group. The lumbar lordosis did not change significantly. In dGEMRIC studies, the discs accumulated in average 410.08 units /cm2 of gadolinium before surgery and 272.45 units/cm2 after surgery, without significant changes in the control group.

Conclusion: Our study shows an improvement of PG quantity in degenerated IVD due to a decrease in gadolinium binding seen in dGEMRIC study. Thus, we can ameliorate IVD homeostasis by eliminating mechanical stress, which could be a step towards the process of disc regeneration.

Background and objectives: Chorioamnionitis (CA) mostly represents the presence of intra-amniotic infection. The features of the disease can be detected during histopathological examination of the delivered fetal membranes. The current study aims to explore the features of all histological chorioamnionitis cases received in the Pathology Department of a university hospital over a period of five years.

Methods: This retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted between January 2015 and December 2019 and used data from 78 women with histologically confirmed chorioamnionitis. All data were gathered from the hospital information system. The SPSS software's statistical methods were used to show and analyze descriptive and categorical data.

Results: The selected patients had an average age of 36.18 ± 6.153 years (age range 21-50 years) and different stages of the disease: 29 (37.2%) in the first stage, 25 (32%) in the second stage and the remaining 24 (30.7%) subjects in the third stage. Nearly half of cases showed concomitant umbilical cord inflammation, whereas placental inflammation occurred much less frequently. The most common cause of chorioamnionitis was bacterial infection, where Streptococcus agalactiae was the most prevalent.

Conclusions: This study showed that the majority of histological chorioamnionitis were of mild intensity (stage 1). Many cases were associated with umbilical cord and, to a lesser extent, with placental inflammation. Bacteria were the most typical cause of chorioamnionitis. The most common strain was Streptococcus agalactiae.

Background: Global vaccination against COVID-19 will help nations to overcome the pandemic stage as soon as possible. Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) is an acute immune-mediated inflammatory disease of the peripheral nerves (PNS) that is reported as a complication of both COVID-19 and vaccines. Up to now, case reports regarding the incidence of GBS have been reported after different COVID-19 vaccines worldwide. So, the aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to estimate the pooled incidence of GBS after COVID-19 vaccination.

Methods: Two expert researchers conducted a systematic search in PubMed, Scopus, EMBASE, Web of Science, Google Scholar as well as gray literature in order to find relevant articles published before September 2022.

Results: After deleting duplicates, we found 1021 articles, of which 458 studies were further evaluated. A final number of 21 studies remained for meta-analysis, with most of those being from the USA, UK and Mexico. Follow-up duration was between 21-42 days. Out of the total number of 2.35x109 patients included in the final meta-analysis, 3654 subjects developed GBS after vaccination, most of whom were males. Incidence of GBS per million ranged between 0.23 and 9.8. The pooled incidence of GBS following vaccination was 0%.

Introduction: Urolithiasis is a serious health issue that is constantly getting worse around the world. In relation to laser lithotripsy, new techniques and technological advancements have emerged, giving urologists a wide range of choices for treating stone disease. The objective of the present review is to provide an overview of the most current developments and show how effective they are for reducing complications and boosting surgical effectiveness.

Material and method: In October 2023, we performed a comprehensive search of the literature, including relevant articles using the PubMed international database to identify related publications concerning ureteroscopic laser stone lithotripsy in renal lithiasis. Both review and original articles were selected. Searches were limited to studies written in English which involved human and adult subjects.

Results: All eligible studies concerning ureteroscopic laser lithotripsy were published in 2022 and 2023. They were conducted in Asia (5/10), the North America (3/10) and Europe (2/10), and totalized 1570 patients with an age range between 18 and 85 years. Regarding the primary efficacy outcome, all studies focused on stone free rates (SFRs), complications and average operative time.

Conclusion: The rising frequency and incidence of stone disease has led to ongoing breakthroughs in endourology through technological advancements and ongoing developments. Unlike the relatively well-known Holmium laser, which has several uses in the field of stone lithotripsy, Thulium fiber laser (TFL) is a brand-new technological arrangement.

Background: Occupational and lifestyle factors, such as smoking and street vending, may pose risks to pulmonary health. Previous studies explored the effect of both smoking and exposure to street pollutants on health. However, a study comparing the pulmonary functions of street vendors (who do not smoke) and smokers has not been conducted before.

Objective: The objective of this study was to compare the pulmonary function parameters among three groups consisting of smokers, street vendors and controls in order to discern potential differences in respiratory health between the three groups.

Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in the Deoghar district of the Jharkhand state, in India, over a period of five months (between January 2023 and May 2023). A total of 90 male participants, including 30 smokers, 30 street vendors and 30 age-matched control research participants, underwent pulmonary function testing (forced spirometry) using standardized methods. The comparison among the three groups was conducted by one-way analysis of variance with the post-hoc test.

Results: A total of 30 controls with a mean age of 33.77±6.01 years, street vendors with a mean age of 32.93±6.29 years and smokers with a mean age of 32.27±7.86 years participated in the present study. There was an average exposure to road pollutants for 13.47±9.48 years and smoking for 13.23±8.29 years (P=0.92). Lung function parameters, except for the forced expiratory volume in one second divided by the forced vital capacity (FEV1/FVC), were lower in street vendors and smokers than controls.

Conclusion: Street vendors in Deoghar, Jharkhand, have lung function parameters comparable to smokers. Hence, although they are not smoking tobacco, their lung health is at risk. Hence, early interventions are required to protect them from pollutants.